Changing political context, new power relations and hydro-conflict in Nepal

The 'people's war' waged by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (February 1996-April 2006) and the people's movement of April 6-24, 2006 not only seriously questioned the relevance of the nearly 400 year-old royal dynasty, but it also paved the way for a fundamental socio-political transformation of the country. The April movement was a collective effort of the Nepalese people to end the 10-year old armed insurgency and to restore peace and democracy; in so doing overthrowing the autocratic rule of the king and leading the way to the abolishment of a centuries-old feudalistic, centralized and exclusionary system. The April movement was a response to the 1st February 2005 royal takeover and the arrogance of the king to rule the country by use of military power, suppressing media, civil society, politicians, and the voice of citizens, ignoring human rights and consistently denying the international pleas to respect human rights and democratic values. Further, it was also a response to the Maoists insurgency and the failure of the mainstream political parties to govern the country. The water resource sub-sector is one of the major areas where a change in governing system, legal arrangements, bureaucratic reorientation and institutional reframing is essential in order to address the associated growing scarcity and conflict. This paper discusses the dynamics of hydro-conflict in the changing political context and outlines the conditions and ways to address it in the 'new' Nepal.